Liberalism/conservatism in a European perspective

[Gustaf]

This is a boring headline, but it will have to do for now. Will American politics head towards Europe, that is social questions are defused and ecnomical matters are paramount? What do you think...

[jravnsbo]

Just interested as to where they were as the discussion there was floating towards ideology.  I thne wondered if by being neutral and having a long history of it, would skew the country's mindset against such organizations and war in general.


On your second question, which I will answer before setting up a topic on the other issue, it's a little muddled. We are not Nato-members, but we did reluctantly, join the EU after a hard-fought referendum in 1994, and that is now undermining our neutrality, even though the Social Democrats desperately try to conceal it. We weren't actually neutral during the Cold War either, it was a charade.

This is a boring headline, but it will have to do for now. Will American politics head towards Europe, that is social questions are defused and ecnomical matters are paramount? What do you think...

[Gustaf]

Probably yes. We have the longest period of peace of all countries i the world, ever since 1814. We did our fair share before then, but most countries did in those days. That does affect our view. You have to keep in mind, also that we are a small country. Policing the world, or looking after national interests have never been an option for us, especially since we are quite altruistic (or naive, if you prefer that!). The main goal of our national security policy is to defend ourselves against aggressors, and after WWII it was decided that this would be achieved best by staying neutral, also out of sympathy with Finland's situation. We eventually came to enjoy the position of being able to meddle in iternational conflicts and not be too tied to other countries policies, and there is some nostalgia for that.

It is all going now, b/c of the EU, though, the politicians are just afraid of telling the people about it. They were forced into a lot of lying in order to get us into the EU, and they're ahving trouble coping with that now.

Just interested as to where they were as the discussion there was floating towards ideology.  I thne wondered if by being neutral and having a long history of it, would skew the country's mindset against such organizations and war in general.


On your second question, which I will answer before setting up a topic on the other issue, it's a little muddled. We are not Nato-members, but we did reluctantly, join the EU after a hard-fought referendum in 1994, and that is now undermining our neutrality, even though the Social Democrats desperately try to conceal it. We weren't actually neutral during the Cold War either, it was a charade.

This is a boring headline, but it will have to do for now. Will American politics head towards Europe, that is social questions are defused and ecnomical matters are paramount? What do you think...

[12th Doctor]

Just interested as to where they were as the discussion there was floating towards ideology.  I thne wondered if by being neutral and having a long history of it, would skew the country's mindset against such organizations and war in general.


On your second question, which I will answer before setting up a topic on the other issue, it's a little muddled. We are not Nato-members, but we did reluctantly, join the EU after a hard-fought referendum in 1994, and that is now undermining our neutrality, even though the Social Democrats desperately try to conceal it. We weren't actually neutral during the Cold War either, it was a charade.

This is a boring headline, but it will have to do for now. Will American politics head towards Europe, that is social questions are defused and ecnomical matters are paramount? What do you think...

Just out of couriosity, What country are you from JR?

[bullmoose88]

If anything, America is going in the opposite direction.
In the 30s 40s and even the 50s, the discussion basically centered around the New Deal...whether to keep it or not, and if one favors it, to what extent...(taxes and the like)

since then, questions about civil rights, abortion etc have popped up...and for some, there doesn't appear to be a cureall answer that will allow America to focus solely on economic issues.

[Gustaf]

Just interested as to where they were as the discussion there was floating towards ideology.  I thne wondered if by being neutral and having a long history of it, would skew the country's mindset against such organizations and war in general.


On your second question, which I will answer before setting up a topic on the other issue, it's a little muddled. We are not Nato-members, but we did reluctantly, join the EU after a hard-fought referendum in 1994, and that is now undermining our neutrality, even though the Social Democrats desperately try to conceal it. We weren't actually neutral during the Cold War either, it was a charade.

This is a boring headline, but it will have to do for now. Will American politics head towards Europe, that is social questions are defused and ecnomical matters are paramount? What do you think...

Just out of couriosity, What country are you from JR?

Ehh...he is from the US...

[Huckleberry Finn]

There's some "social"=moral issues in policies in Europe too. In Finland we had very broad discussion about the same sex marriage. Issue divided all other parties except Greens (pro of course) and Christian Democrats (against) Many conservatives (National Coalition Party) supported liberal law, but also few in the left (in Social Democrats and Left Alliance) were against it.  

In the end parlament accepted it pretty wide margin.

In this moment the illegalize of buying sex services it's major moral issue. And that's very broadly suported by Left. (feminism) Many in the Right are against, cos they think that this law will be hurt individual right to choose freely and bring goverment in the private sector of life. (and they are all males...)  

I think that parlament is going to way of illegalize.